In baseball and softball, the strike zone is a spacial volume over home plate. The sides are defined by the edges of the plate. The upper limit is a horizontal plane at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants of a batter. The lower limit is a horizontal plane through at the hollow beneath the knee cap of the batter. The strike zone is determined by the batter""s stance as he or she prepares to hit a ball. Therefore, the strike zone varies depending on the height and stance of each batter.
Because the strike zone varies for each batter, and because the zone is defined only by imagined lines, it is often difficult to determine whether or not a ball was pitched through the strike zone. Umpires are relied upon to call a pitch as a ball or a strike, but umpires cannot accomplish this task perfectly for every pitch. Human error as well as variation between umpires may lead to balls and strikes being called incorrectly, inconsistently or erratically. Parallaxes and angles of viewing and corrections for those angles make the umpires decision process difficult.
Needs exist for improved aids and methods for immediate, exact, and repeatable differentiations between strikes and balls.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for aiding the detection and differentiation of balls and strikes in baseball and softball. The apparatus may be used in recreation league, major league, minor league, Little League, high school, college or Olympic baseball and softball games.
The present invention, a strike zone indicator, takes away the possibility of human error and variation among umpires when calling balls and strikes in baseball and softball. The strike zone indicator aids in the detection of balls and strikes by making empirical the 3-dimensional portion of air space that denotes the strike zone for each individual batter. The strike zone indicator uses laser technology, a hologram image, xe2x80x9cvirtual insertion,xe2x80x9d or computer technology to delineate the strike zone for each batter. When a pitch crosses home plate within the strike zone of a particular batter, the strike zone indicator will denote that the pitch was a strike; if a pitch misses the strike zone of a particular batter, a ball will be indicated. Swings made at pitches outside the strike zone do not affect the registry of the strike zone indicator, as only the intrusion of a ball is registered within the strike zone.
The vertical boundaries of the strike zone are defined by the perimeter of home plate. These fixed boundaries are delineated by imagery generated by using laser technology, a hologram, xe2x80x9cvirtual insertion,xe2x80x9d or computer technology from above home plate. In other embodiment project beams from or at home plate by generating the imagery up from the perimeter of home plate. The horizontal boundaries of the strike zone vary and are determined by measuring each player and generating imagery at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants and at the level of the hollow beneath the knees. The upper and lower delineating planes may be generated using the same process for defining the vertical components of the strike zone. Each batter may be measured before the baseball or softball game at a convenient time such as during a preseason physical or at picture day, or immediately pregame, for example, as the players stand for the National Anthem. The measurements of each individual batter are recorded and are used when he or she bats; these measurements are adjusted according to the batting stance or crouch of the batter. Measurements may be taken of a batter in the ready circle. Previously taken measurements may be checked and updated at that position. Alternatively the measurements may be taken in situ while the batter is in the batter""s box, using remote instruments for example located in stadium walls or near first and third base dugouts. In one embodiment, tape line implants or sensitized threads are affixed to the uniform at the upper and lower limits of the strike zone for each player.
The strike zone delineated by the strike zone indicator may be made visible to the participants of the baseball or softball game using a hologram, or may be invisible to participants. The strike zone indicator may be projected to viewers such as fans attending the game, television viewers, announcers and umpires by projection onto in-stadium displays, scoreboards, televisions, closed-circuit televisions, hand-held devices and other viewing means. This allows viewers of the projection to accurately determine if a pitch is a ball or a strike.
The strike zone indicator may be used by umpires to aid in calling difficult pitches, or it may totally replace umpires by automating the calling of balls and strikes. Additionally, the strike zone indicator may be used by announcers, analysts and viewers to determine the accuracy of an umpire""s call.
The strike zone indicator may be visible only to umpires using special viewing devices. Sensors sensing a ball passing through or missing the zone may cause direct count indications or may provide tone signals broadcast to all or available only to an umpire as a call decision aid.
In addition to use during baseball and softball games, the strike zone indicator may be used as a practice tool. The strike zone indicator not only indicates if a pitch is a ball or a strike, but it is also capable of determining the precise placement of the ball within the strike zone. Pitchers, coaches, trainers and managers may use the strike zone indicator to analyze the placement and accuracy of pitches. This gives pitchers a tool to aid not only in throwing strikes, but also in throwing pitches through particular points of the strike zone where hits are less likely.
The strike zone indicator may also be used for amusement purposes, for example at batting cages, carnivals, amusement parks and fairs. In this way, the public would have access to analysis of pitching skill and accuracy.
A preferred embodiment of the strike zone indicator comprises a mechanism for generating and aiming laser beams onto or emanating from the boundaries of a home plate which is found in situ. From above home plate the mechanism is mounted high enough so as not to be an obstruction to the pitcher, batter, catcher, umpire or viewers of the baseball or softball game from below the perimeter of home plate would be projected in situ by lasers, computers or the like. In addition, an indicator is connected to this mechanism for displaying information about the location of the pitch, either within or outside of the strike zone.
An embodiment of the strike zone indicator comprises connecting the mechanism for generating and aiming laser beams to a means for projecting imagery of the strike zone onto in-stadium displays, scoreboards, televisions, closed-circuit televisions, hand-held devices and other viewing means.
The new strike zone indicator is used in baseball or softball to provide strike zone detection and a zone indicator. It is useable indoors or outdoors and is portable. A preferred embodiment uses home plates found in situ. Created images can be projected to stadium audiences, television audiences, announcers or to home plate umpires by hand held devices. The new method uses xe2x80x9cvirtual insertionxe2x80x9d. Total accuracy is provided. Neither human error nor variation is introduced. The new system can replace or augment human umpires. The system can tell exactly where the ball entered the strike zone to improve xe2x80x9cpitch placementxe2x80x9d in practice. The system is used as a practice tool or on game day. There is no physical bar to the play of the game. No obstruction is presented. Information is continuously or repeatedly displayed.
Horizontal laser lines are projected at a midpoint between shoulder and belt and at the batter""s hollow of the knees. Existing home plates are used. In-place lasers may be used at home plate. Hologram images are created by xe2x80x9cvirtual insertionxe2x80x9d computer imagery and lasers. A 3D xe2x80x9ccubexe2x80x9d of air space is defined as the strike zone. Imagery is fixed from above home plate or at ground level. Batters are pre-measured before games or at the starts of games. Horizontal xe2x80x9cLinesxe2x80x9d move to fit batter""s stances. Swings of the bat do not affect the hologram accuracy. Only the ball is registered by the device.
To project the individualized strike zone for a batter that is accomplished either by use of a hologram image, xe2x80x9cvirtual insertionxe2x80x9d, computer or laser technology that makes empirical that cube of air space that denotes the xe2x80x9cstrike zonexe2x80x9d for each batter. xe2x80x9cStrike zonexe2x80x9d is defined by official baseball rules as:
xe2x80x9cThat area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the knee cap. The strike zone shall be determined from the batter""s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at the pitched ball.xe2x80x9d
To accomplish the horizontal measurements required of . . . xe2x80x9cline of the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the knee cap.xe2x80x9d
The batter would be measured during preseason physical, on picture day and/or immediately pregame say as he stands to observe the National Anthem. Higher belt, belt buckle or a trouser button provides the point of reference for xe2x80x9cthe top of the uniform pantsxe2x80x9d. Special threads can be stitched at the xe2x80x9ctop of the shouldersxe2x80x9d of the uniform and/or at xe2x80x9cthe top of the uniform pantsxe2x80x9d to likewise provide the point of reference to determine the upper horizontal line of the strike zone. Likewise, xe2x80x9cpatchesxe2x80x9d may be affixed to the uniform by adhesive to highlight the xe2x80x9chollow of the kneesxe2x80x9d. These measurements would be transposed and recorded so that when he/she assumes his/her stance and/or crouch in the batter""s box those xe2x80x9clinesxe2x80x9d would move accordingly. The vertical lines are defined by the perimeter of home plate and likewise would be xe2x80x9cfixedxe2x80x9d by imagery from above home plate or at home plate by hologram, xe2x80x9cvirtual insertionxe2x80x9d, computer imagery or lasers.
Thence, the unique xe2x80x9ccubexe2x80x9d for each player having been defined the point of entry of the thrown pitch it can be empirically determined in said pitch is a xe2x80x9cstrikexe2x80x9d. Swings made at pitches outside this cube (strikes, tips or fouls) would not affect the registry of penetration. Only the ball""s intrusion into the xe2x80x9ccubexe2x80x9d so defined would be registered by laser, hologram, xe2x80x9cvirtual insertionxe2x80x9d or computer graphic. That image could be projected to the stadium audience, television audience, announcers and/or the home plate umpire using a hand held device.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, along with the drawings.